EU summit to discuss spread of Omicron

With the festive season looming, the bloc’s leaders want to avoid a confusing mixture of rules

A summit of European Union leaders on Thursday is trying to coordinate action to tackle the surge of coronavirus infections across the continent and the emergence of the new Omicron variant while keeping borders open.

With the festive season looming, the bloc’s leaders want to avoid a confusing mixture of rules and to ensure all 27 member states are on the same page and that COVID-19 certificates continue to guarantee unrestricted travel.

The European Council said before the talks in Brussels that “any restrictions should not undermine the functioning of the single market or hamper travel between EU member states and to Europe.”